As we learned in our last episode/post, the Okefenokee is named “trembling earth” because the cypress trees grow on peat, not soil. A simple poke makes them bounce in the water like a buoy. As the Native Americans navigated the land they bobbled along this powerful and trembling earth.
The trees themselves are awe-inspiring. And evidently science-defying. There’s no official understanding for why cypress trees are broad at the base. Perhaps it’s for balance. It’s incredible how tall and lanky they grow.
A walk through a dry portion of this Georgia swamp displays the sprawling network of roots that stay hidden underwater.